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Jessika Peppers' mother: 'I can't just sit silently'

Jessika Peppers was killed in August by her ex-boyfriend David Love when she went to his home. Jackson County prosecutors have declined to press charges against Love, citing self-defense. Her mother Carol Peppers is seeking justice for her daughter. (Music: Past the Edge by Kevin MacLeod. CC 3.0)

Jessika Peppers was killed in August by her ex-boyfriend David Love when she went to his home. Jackson County prosecutors have declined to press charges against Love, citing self-defense. Her mother Carol Peppers is seeking justice for her daughter. (Music: Past the Edge by Kevin MacLeod. CC 3.0) Keith MyersThe Kansas City Star

Jessika Peppers was killed in August by her ex-boyfriend David Love when she went to his home. Jackson County prosecutors have declined to press charges against Love, citing self-defense. Her mother Carol Peppers is seeking justice for her daughter. (Music: Past the Edge by Kevin MacLeod. CC 3.0) Keith MyersThe Kansas City Star

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And Love wasn’t allowed to possess a firearm at the time because a protection order filed by his mother was in place, court records show.

In the days and minutes leading up to her daughter’s final moments, Carol Peppers of Independence said her daughter had been texting and calling Love in an attempt to coordinate her retrieval of an iPhone and laptop that she’d left at his home.

Love hadn’t returned her messages, so Jessika Peppers, who had been living in Osceola, Mo., went over to his home near 57th Street and Cambridge Avenue in Kansas City in the middle of the day.

Jessika Peppers

Peppers family via Facebook

Kansas City police wrote in an initial incident report: “The suspect was contacted and stated that he was asleep in his bedroom when he heard someone breaking into his residence. He pulled his gun out from under his bed and as soon as he saw someone coming into his room, he shot his gun.”

Love told police he hadn’t recognized his ex-girlfriend.

Jessika Peppers, suffering from a gunshot wound, was found by police near the bedroom in a hallway with a hammer in her hand, according to police reports. She was said to have entered through a broken window.

But “that’s all his side of the story,” Carol Peppers said. “My daughter is dead and can’t tell her side of the story.”

A public defender who represented Love could not be reached.

David Lunceford, a KC area lawyer, said violating protection orders can be a felony.

“Looks like the judge thought this guy was a danger to himself and others, and that’s why he put in there that he shouldn’t be in possession of a firearm,” Lunceford said.

Mike Mansur, a spokesman for the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, confirmed Tuesday that charges would not be filed in Jessika Peppers’ slaying, citing self-defense.

When asked about the protection order, Mansur said he thought it had been terminated at the time of the shooting on Aug. 25. But court records show the order didn’t expire until more than a month later.

Love has not been charged for potentially violating the protection order, according to court records.

“We’ll review this issue of the order of protection and whether it was violated,” Mansur said.

Carol Peppers expressed incredulity over the fact that her daughter’s killer will not face homicide charges.

“If you can raise a shotgun after seeing a hammer, I’m pretty sure if you can see that hammer, you know who it is,” Carol Peppers said.

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Reliving the 1994 fatal shooting of Donald Ewing and Doniel Quinn

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